Osimhen deal done ‘one minute after midnight’ on Deadline Day

Robin Bairner

Updated: 6 Sep 2024 07:30 CDT
3 min read

Victor Osimhen, Napoli, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Victor Osimhen was announced as a Galatasaray player on Wednesday, bringing to an end one of the most dramatic transfer sagas in recent years.

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The move came as a huge surprise as Osimhen had been courted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs over the summer, with Chelsea pushing to complete a deal right until the end of Deadline Day. PSG and Arsenal had also been interested.

The 25-year-old Nigeria international, though, has signed for Galatasaray – a club knocked out of the Champions League by Swiss outfit Young Boys in August.

Current ETV

Victor Osimhen

F (C)

Galatasaray

Victor Osimhen

F (C)

Galatasaray

ETV Range

€53.3M - €88.9M

Deal rushed through after Chelsea collapse

Osimhen, therefore, finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings and agent George Gardi has explained exactly how the transfer came about.

Speaking to TMW, he revealed: “The deal was conceived at one minute after midnight after the [major] European markets closed.

“I saw that Victor had not left Napoli and there was a strange situation in Naples. I asked the club if they were willing to let the player go on loan, they gave me the opening and I immediately contacted the Turkish club to tell them that it would be an unmissable opportunity but to get the deal done quickly.”

Gardi explained that the deal for Osimhen, who was reportedly fuming with Napoli, had to be rushed through.

“It had to be done in 48 hours,” he said. “After we spoke to Victor, I immediately received his agreement for the deal to be done.

“For him, Galatasaray is an important club. We had a video call with the coach Okan Buruk, and during that, he explained the formation change he wanted to make. After he heard about Victor, he immediately thought about changing formation and playing two strikers.”

Galatasaray grasped their opportunity, signing Osimhen up on a one-year loan deal that does not have a purchase option.

Interestingly, there is a break clause in the contract, meaning that Osimhen can return to Italy or be sold in January to another club, with Chelsea still carrying an interest in the player.